Chicago Stormed

A pedestrian struggles with her umbrella as a strong rain storm hits the downtown area Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007 in Chicago. A fast-moving storm turned skies from day to night across a wide swath of the Chicago area Thursday, damaging homes and businesses and bringing planes and trains to a halt.

Credit: AP Photo/M. Spencer Green

Pedestrians scramble through violent rain storms that hit the downtown area Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007, in Chicago, Ill. Hundreds of trees and power lines were down in the city and the suburbs, leaving crews scrambling to clear debris and replace power poles that caught fire when transformers exploded. Some 265,000 customers lost electricity.

Credit: AP Photo/M. Spencer Green

A pedestrian battles a heavy rain storm in the downtown area Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007 in Chicago. The storm dumped so much rain yesterday that officials were forced to open locks that released storm water and sewage into Lake Michigan.

Credit: AP Photo/M. Spencer Green

A pedestrian hails a cab as violent rain storms hit the downtown area Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007, in Chicago. The fast-moving storm packed winds of 70 mph. It sent roofs and scaffolds tumbling down, and injured around 40 people, none seriously.

Credit: AP Photo/M. Spencer Green

Pedestrians examine the damage to parked cars under a fallen tree one block from Wrigley Field after violent thunderstorms passed through the greater Chicago area, Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007.

Credit: AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Fallen tree branches lie in the middle of an intersection in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007.

Credit: AP Photo/Jerry Lai

Pedestrians walk around a fallen tree one block from Wrigley Field after violent thunderstorms passed through the greater Chicago area, Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007.